War Bracket Selection Tonight!

Well, it’s official. That outstanding war movie Stripes beat the awful buddy movie The Deer Hunter. I think I’ll sit the rest of this one out, because I obviously know nothing.

I remember when my friends dad bought a Laser Disk copy of A Bridge Too Far. We had a big family watch at his house. Barely half way through, half the room got up and went in the kitchen for ice cream, and never came back. It’s an epic realistic, look at the Operation Market Garden failure, but a three-hour runtime makes it an exhausting tough watch, as it drags and drags and take forever to get to the punch. It’s an ehhh for me, I wouldn’t recommend it.

I am glad Tears Of The Sun beat out Rambo First Blood II. I asked my gf Rambo is a war movie really? She told "not to ask questions I probably won't like the answer to." Why not Conspiracy (2001) which is the closest thing to history your going to get since the one remaining transcript is in a museum in Wansee Berlin Germany. Or Operation Mincemeat, also based on a true story which is one of the wildest ideas the US has ever come up with. "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it"

How did Stripes beat The Deer Hunter? I’m sorry to all who voted for it, but Stripes isn’t in the same class as The Deer Hunter. Granted, Stripes is good, but it’s a comedy. The Deer Hunter is one of the best Vietnam war movies ever. De Niro, Streep, Walken, Savage, Cazale. Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (for Walken in the role that made him famous), and it loses to Stripes? Well, the people have spoken. 🤦‍♂️

So many to choose…. So little time to watch…..

Failsafe…..

I'm rooting more and more for Rambo. It's the perfect example of Gung Ho Hooyah Love the Smell of Napalm in the Morning excess. "Commando" was Arnie's version.

And I demand that Cassie throws out that random generator she uses. Heartbreak Ridge is the Clintest of Clint movies and Cassie would love it, yet the generator eff'd her at the drive-thru. I very rarely use the word 'heinous', but in this case, it would be heinous not to. A HEINOUS exclusion, I tell you! Just wait till The Swede gets out of the brig.

Come on, Rambo! Cassie can't miss out on one of the most iconic action movies of the 1980s! One of the most iconic exchanges in Rambo can be applied to England's attempt to win the World Cup this year. England fans: "Do we get to win this time?" The Football Gods: "Uhhh...no."

Well missed that also - effing heck!

Currently the tightest races in the 1st round: Rambo 2 (1985) = 44 votes Tears of the Sun (2003) = 43 votes Stripes (1981) = 49 votes The Deer Hunter (1979) = 44 votes To cast your votes, go to https://beta.popcorninbed.com/bracket/war-movie-bracket1

Letters From Iwo Jima is goated

THREE KINGS!! 👑 👑 👑 And thin red line 🖍️🖍️🖍️

Stripes 🇺🇸 ✅

EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987)!!!!

This seems a very drawn-out method to select a film to watch. Just randomly pick (8) films from the 230 war genre films (new PR) and put them on a 2-day Poll. Every month Cassie could just randomly select a film from the new PR and watch it. Alternate 1-100, 101-200, 201-300. Presto, we have a movie to watch!

Also I'd pick "Comeand See"

You have great movies Cassie; however, my fav is the 1976 "The Eagle Has Landed"; 135 minutes.

Damn. No "Michael" (2026) ???

I just can't believe that my long time Pick a Flick choice, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming is in a bracket I can vote for. That's the good news. The bad news is they are tied with another movie with the lowest number of votes. And why is Russians, Russians in a war movie bracket?? It is a flat out comedy, but it is a Cold War comedy, sort of like Dr. Strangelove. Actually, exactly like Dr. Strangelove. Both movies exploit American cold war fears for comedy. Dr. Strangelove is certainly more absurd and goes to a far extreme. But Russians, Russians has plenty of absurdity to laugh at. I sometimes change my Pick A Flick, and had chosen an Astaire/Rogers musical for July, but this bracket pick has inspired me to go back and change my Pick back to Russians. I so so want Cassie to laugh at this movie with me!!! It has Alan Arkins first major movie role, in fact he was nominated for Best Actor, and the movie itself was a Best Picture nominee! Arkin did in fact win a Golden Globe for the film and the film won Best Comedy or Musical Golden Globe.

No replay of the live bracket draw?

Empire of the Sun is a interesting movie that isn’t a typical war story of armies fighting each other but shows how it impacted people in a region that isn’t historically shown or covered very much. Incredible performance by main character that ensured his career in cinema.

Zulu is a great movie

I’d vote for Sisu over anything in these brackets. But of course since it’s a foreign film there’s no way it would win.

No Heartbreak Ridge. I am bereft.

A Bridge too Far, based on the book by Cornelius Ryan, is a superb accout of Operation Market-Garden, perhaps the most costly Allied miscalculation of the war in Europe. It's simply one of the best war movies extant.

The Top 20 war movies at Requests combined with the Top 20 war movies at the old Popcorn Requests gave a good pool of 40 war movies for random selection for the poll. I see several popular movies in the pool. Diverse list of war movies.

No Kelly's Heroes, no Dirty Dozen, no Stalag 17 and no Spartacus in the bracket, sheesh! 🙄

Dr. Strangelove

Waterloo is an interesting watch. Soviet soldiers performing real Napoleonic tactics.

CURRENT VOTES The Russians Coming - 7, Longest Day - 51 Killing Fields - 17, Empire of the Sun - 37 Doctor Zhivago - 32, Flags of Fathers - 21 Wind Shakes Barley - 9, Bridge Too Far - 45 Stripes - 31, The Deer Hunter - 30 Rambo 2 - 27, Tears of the Sun - 28 Dr. Strangelove - 36, Midway - 23 Hart's War - 21, The English Patient - 33 https://beta.popcorninbed.com/bracket/war-movie-bracket1

I like Stripes But I can't believe it's beating The Deer Hunter

So many bangers

"Where Eagles Dare" and "Dr. Strangelove"

Dr. Strangelove and Downfall are my top 2 picks. Flags of Our Fathers, Gettysburg and Three Kings are pretty good, too. One somewhat forgotten movie I wish had been included is Stop-Loss (2008): great discussion of the extraordinary and controversial measures the military had to take to avoid returning to conscription for peak troop deployment demands in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although I have said this in prior forums, given what is happening in the world right now, with the threat of escalation to nuclear confrontation growing, I will make my suggestion again, that I know some may find controversial, to react to a post nuclear apocalypse movie. I recommend On the Beach (1959), Fail Safe (1964), The Day After (1983), Testament (1983), or Threads (1984). Cassie- I know your reaction to any of these would be epic, and would convince viewers to take the nuclear threat and the likely aftermath of a nuclear war seriously!

A Bridge Too Far or Kelly's Heroes would be my picks!

I noticed you have 'Midway' listed in both brackets, and both appear to be the 2019 version. What would be better is that you swap out one for the far superior 1976 version, which was actually more historically accurate & had an epic all-star cast.

Try Deathwatch(2002), set in the trenches of WW1!

I like *The Deer Hunter*, even though it can be slow at times. I believe it compensates for that.

117 comments here so far, but only about 20 (edit- 40. Wow, what a typo.) people have voted in the bracket. Odd.

So which bracket won? I couldn't see how you vote, unless you're supposed to be in the chat to vote.

Why isn't the recording of the live up????

Geez, if Stripes is a war movie then Mrs. Miniver should be listed too. That’s more of a war movie than Stripes.

"Black Book" (2006). Inspired by true events, by director of Robocop and Total Recall, IMDb score 7.7. Yes it's foreign with subtitles, but so is "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and "Downfall". It's a Dutch movie (director of Robocop, Paul Verhoeven, is Dutch) and Dutch people rated it to be the best Dutch movie in history. It's also the most expensive movie ever made in Netherlands. Paul Verhoeven also said in an interview HIMSELF, that it's the best movie he ever directed. Yes, surpassing Robocop and Total Recall. It's so dumb that so many people haven't seen it.

So happy to see Stripes get a look in on a War movie list, it's my favorite comedy after Blazing Saddles, I remember first seeing it as part of a Sunday night double feature at my local movie theater back in 85... so many comedy actors made early appearances in the move, and it was almost Cheech and Chong join the Army. Butt I'm glad it became the movie it is... sadly I don't think it's going to win the poll.

Downfall, The Thin Red Line, & Tora! Tora! Tora! didn't make the cut. That is so sad! In that case, I am all in on "Dr. Strangelove".

Hoping Tora! Tora! Tora! gets a fair shot

Hoping for The Dirty Dozen, mostly. But, I'll take The Longest Day, of course. Edit: Now I notice in the posters is not only The Caine Mutiny, but my fav The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. I know none of those would win a poll or bracket! But be still my heart!!!

Of course The Wind that Shakes the Barley is up against A Bridge Too Far. There is no justice. 🙄😠

Lots of great titles here! I'm especially surprised to see THE SEARCH (1948) listed! That's Montgomery Clift's film debut, but it's also an outstanding story about post-World War II Germany, especially how it affected German children. Definitely worth seeing but it's fairly unknown to most of Cassie's audience.

Kellys Heros

Are we LIVE, yet?

It's go time.

Monuments Men is the one I’m hoping for.

A Bridge Too Far is so good. Has the most bonkers cast ever.

I can get in but not sure what the site is for. You pick movies and then upvote by spending something and if it gets high enough Cassie will watch it?

Like Alex Gorell said (in which I second), Flags of our Fathers/Letters From Iwo Jima! Perhaps another suggestion besides the above, Unbroken (2014)?

Zero Dark Thirty or Stripes please

Tora! Tora! Tora! is a fantastic movie about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. It presents both the Japanese and American sides, including Admiral Yamamoto's statement, "I fear that all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

The Killing Fields is an incredibly moving film.

Greyhound (2020) should be in your war bracket!

The English Patient

Tears of the sun or Zulu(it's a classic, one of my favorites).

Please finally watch Dr Strangelove

Duplicates are just unnecessary.

The Messenger. Oscar nom for Woody Harrelson, and Ben Foster is fantastic as always.

I'm not seeing WARFARE

Fairly amazed Dr. Strangelove is still on the To Be Watched Still list? EDIT: Also... not sure I can handle watching PiP watching Tears of the Sun

There r also some war films surrounding war but they tackle heavy parts of war and ptsd... Like 'BANG BANG CLUB' 'LEE' 'CITY OF GOD' 'THE DEBT' 'GOULDA' 'UNTHINKABLE' 'LAST FLAG FLYING' Shit like that...

Gettysburg is historically very accurate but, well, the facial hair received on-screen credit and Tom Berenger's beard narrowly lost the Oscar™ in the Best Supporting Actor category to Jeff Daniel's mustache.

The Cruel Sea, A Bridge Too Far, The Longest Day and Land and Freedom are great films which should be on the list I think.

PATH TO WAR is a history lesson that will blow your mind. Consider it.

Hamburger Hill is another strong but often overlooked war film from the 80s. Definitely one to keep in mind as well.

Dr. Strangelove please.

Three kings and tears of the sun are so underrated

I vote 'MEN OF HONOR' '12 STRONG' 'DEFIANCE' 'WINDTALKERS' 'HUNTER KILLER' 'AMERICAN SNIPER' 'MONUMENTS MEN' 'ANTHROPOID' 'THE COVENANT' 'DARKEST HOURS' 'DEER HUNTER' 'TROPIC THUNDER' In that order of 12(strong 😉) for me...thats off the top of my head maybe you all can help me out...I am not married to it.

I gotta say, this is kind of a weird group of movies, and maybe knowing a bit more about the movies beforehand would make for better polls. Some of these aren't really war movies, some of them are action movies with combat but not set during a war, and some of them take place during a war but are actually about something else. Also, Monuments Men is tremendously disappointing.

Ohhh Gettysburg!

Tora! Tora! Tora!, A Bridge Too Far, The Longest Day, The Battle of Britain.

Only looking at these right here...there is list 1 I make of best/awarded and consensus List 2, my favorites List 3...what she probly would preferr cuz we r taking past reactions into account... Hate to say it but my List 3 vote is probably Monuments Men tbh tbh I would love a hunter killer or Men of honor reaction...considering outside of hacksaw and S.P.Ryan those are like the most realistic war shots I know of...

This entire list is top notch. You Need to watch ALL of them! If you watch Stripes PLEASE watch the Original theatrical release. The newly available re-edited and expanded edition ruins the tone, pacing and charm of the Original film which is why that material was left out in the first place. This is the exact opposite of the Kingdom of Heaven situation. Stick with the Original!

Dr. Strangelove or The English Patient.

Casualties of War needs more recognition. It is one of the most compelling war films I've seen and it's disturbing but definitely worth watching. Maybe the best performance by Michael J. Fox.

Paths of Glory is great classic that seems to never anyone’s list.

Zulu!

Damn, that's a strong lineup

Deer Hunter?...maybe not actually

Still haven't gotten to Dr strangelove?

Can't remember if my choice got put in a bracket or not or if I even know how that works or if it's a certain tier option. But looking fwd to what cones up.

Too bad "We Were Soldiers" isn't in any category...

Gettysburg (how appropriate for the upcoming 4th of July !!!) Downfall - masterful performance by Bruno Ganz. One of the best acting performances I have ever seen. Zulu is another great movie of a historical event. Michael Caine's breakout role.

John Rambo: "Do we get to win this time? ..... Trautman: "This time its up to you." LETS GO RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II !!!!

Downfall would be a great choice.

Cassie - respectfully, you’re going in the wrong direction. On the new Request list many good movies are scattered between the top 250, 500, 750, and even further. If we’re doing brackets a more diverse selection is what we need. That’s why the last bracket poll was so full of movies that weren’t that popular, because it only included the top 100. I know it’s counterintuitive, but try it one time, you’ll see some interesting results.

I love Stipes is on this... a war movie??.... its like going into Wisconsin

Heartbreak Ridge w/ Clint Eastwood

Theres way to many good ones.....even though Rambo...isn't really a war movie....the new prequel one will be

Heads-up: "The Thin Red Line" is an art movie about birds where a major WWII battle happens to occur, too.

I'm pulling for stripes personally

Is EST the right time indicator for this? Unless you are out of town isn't MST the right time zone? I only post this since it is usually MST in these posts. Thanks.

The Outpost (2019) is great. If you want a military comedy “In the Army Now” with Pauly Shore is more accurate to being in the Army than most serious Army movies. I’m an Army veteran.

Letters of Iwo Jima and flags of our fathers really should be watched together.

Dr. Strangelove or Three Kings is my hope.

Too bad ESCAPE TO VICTORY isnt here since it is war+Soccer+Stallone and would fit the current World Cup vibe.

Tears of the Sun!! Under appreciated classic

Nice. Hart's War and Tears of the Sun (both have Bruce Willis, oddly enough).

Is that the correct Midway? The remake? I would've guessed people would want the 1976 version over the 2019 version, but I could be wrong.

A bridge too far would be Epic!

Casualties of War (1989)

Shining Through is the most underrated movie EVER! Please react to it even if it doesn’t win. Amazing movie.

Yay!